Post #280. "Nothing else will connect there until you test your PSU."
Have you built a dim bulb tester? If not, I strongly recommend looking that up and building one as your next step. However, it is a matter of preference.
I watched that six times. Literally. But this is the noob thread. He doesn't explain what that is, how to get one, how to build one, or what it does. What is that clamp thing he uses? It looks like my wife's sewing machine's pedal. How does watching some old British guy connect things to something he doesn't explain help the noob?
I know this sounds negative and bitter, but some of you guys still aren't getting it. This is the noob thread. Expect that we/I don't know your collective terms and associations. We're not unwilling to learn and we're not unwilling to Google. We're willing to study and learn and ask questions. These things are obvious to you but not to the noob. I'm pointing this out and asking questions here so that it becomes even more obvious for inclusion in the blog build.
Gentlemen, I realize I'm looking like a defensive *** (I'm sorry that I'm so far below you). I'm simply arguing for more noob information. At the sentence level, at the experience level, in this thread, step back to ensure that what you're saying is understood to the noob.
IMO, that's what a noob thread should be about. It's my hope that I'm lowering the floor on shared information.
That's a baseball scouting metaphor related to projecting prospects. Some college players are polished and have a high floor, maybe a limited ceiling. Some unpolished HS guys are boom or bust, have low floors and maybe very high ceilings--if things go well.
TBH, I didn't even know what mains, primaries, and secondaries meant. These are things that I didn't know, and most of what I gather is from studying pictures to copy in the build guide. I still don't even know what "star ground" means. I still have to Google how to use my DMM (V: ~ vs ---).
But I'm also not an idiot! I'm a combat veteran, a former automotive journalist; I hold an MA in Writing, and I've built several hum-free SET tube amps. I can learn!
If this is for noobs, it should have a low floor. This entire thread should explain. That's my goal.
Maybe I'll figure out how to post pics here, but my build progress is on Instagram at @13stoploss.
Sorry for annoying.
IMO, that's what a noob thread should be about. It's my hope that I'm lowering the floor on shared information.
That's a baseball scouting metaphor related to projecting prospects. Some college players are polished and have a high floor, maybe a limited ceiling. Some unpolished HS guys are boom or bust, have low floors and maybe very high ceilings--if things go well.
TBH, I didn't even know what mains, primaries, and secondaries meant. These are things that I didn't know, and most of what I gather is from studying pictures to copy in the build guide. I still don't even know what "star ground" means. I still have to Google how to use my DMM (V: ~ vs ---).
But I'm also not an idiot! I'm a combat veteran, a former automotive journalist; I hold an MA in Writing, and I've built several hum-free SET tube amps. I can learn!
If this is for noobs, it should have a low floor. This entire thread should explain. That's my goal.
Maybe I'll figure out how to post pics here, but my build progress is on Instagram at @13stoploss.
Sorry for annoying.
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Yeah- I've watched that one too- needs some serious editing. And I'm very much a newbie- my last electronics project was the simple XOs for a pair of Overnight Sensations I built. I decided to try the F6 largely because of its low parts count... but this thread popped up- a reason I'm so grateful to the OPs- and I've heard many good things about the AJ so Ima give it a try.
Regarding the bulb tester, the idea, as I understand it, is to place a moderate wattage incandescent bulb in series between the mains (power from the all) and the amp itself to test for any shorts in the amp. This does a nice job, IMO:
Build Your Own Current Limiter for Protection when Repairing and Testing Electronic Equipment - YouTube
So you plug this in the wall, then plug your newly build amp into it. And turn on the amp. If there's a short in your wiring the bulb will burn brightly, and no or little current will go into the amp and damage it. If there's no short, the bulb won't glow- and presumably everything is wired properly... and that's the edge of my knowledge. I wonder how can we be sure there aren't any shorts say in the amp boards (i.e., in the circuitry on the other side of the transformer)?
I don’t know, I found the aleph j build guide video to be extremely helpful when it comes to the power supply and even though it wasn’t step by step building the boards it was raw parts to music using all diy audio store stuff. I well labeled mains/transformer drawing with ps test point and expected results might be helpful.
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13Stoploss - Your advocacy for additional information written for noobs is worthy. That's what the OPs are trying to accomplish. However, you are building your amp in advance of it being available.
From post #1.
"If you're looking to build your own Aleph J RIGHT NOW, you'll be better off reviewing and posting to 6L6's illustrated build guide."
Why not just wait for the OPs to complete their guide? From what I've seen, it is excellent!
You're certainly not "below" anyone; definitely not me. If any posts of mine have seemed derogatory, please accept my apologies.
Stick with it, and you'll have an incredible amp in the not-too-distant future.
From post #1.
"If you're looking to build your own Aleph J RIGHT NOW, you'll be better off reviewing and posting to 6L6's illustrated build guide."
Why not just wait for the OPs to complete their guide? From what I've seen, it is excellent!
You're certainly not "below" anyone; definitely not me. If any posts of mine have seemed derogatory, please accept my apologies.
Stick with it, and you'll have an incredible amp in the not-too-distant future.
All - back to this after a few weeks and I’m doing my test for...and it’s really tight. Wondering if too tight; can’t rule out that the transformer wires might contact a resistor or such on the amp boards. What do you think?
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First of all, have you tested the power supply without the amps wired up to them? This is where the dim bulb test referenced above really helps. You also need to verify that your V+ and V- voltages are what you should expect based on the power transformer AC secondary windings provide. Build and test in stages and you can rule out certain things if something is off.
Are you constructing a dual mono Aleph J? Without an overhead photo, it’s difficult to see why the transformer is positioned so closely to the amplifier boards.
If this is the case, you might consider orienting the power transformers 90 degrees so they are mounted vertically using L-brackets, or alternatively stack the transformers. With each transformer using the mounting hardware. If you stack the transformers, you’ll need a single long bolt to do this.
Are you constructing a dual mono Aleph J? Without an overhead photo, it’s difficult to see why the transformer is positioned so closely to the amplifier boards.
If this is the case, you might consider orienting the power transformers 90 degrees so they are mounted vertically using L-brackets, or alternatively stack the transformers. With each transformer using the mounting hardware. If you stack the transformers, you’ll need a single long bolt to do this.
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Yes, it’s dual mono. Stacked or side mount is a great idea. Probably turned sideways will be best for this. Photo of overall build here. I haven’t wired anything up yet.
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You guys. Seriously. Thank you so much. I'm listening right now to my new Aleph Jason, hum free.
Had a chat with a forum member who looked over my stuff. My bridges were reversed, I didn't short my RCAs (I'm listening rn with XLRs), and one of my four amp board LEDs was wired wrong. But literally everything else was a breeze. All the measurements. It was a quick and painless process to measure--when told what to measure.
So, with that, I actually still have a lot to share. Including a ton of pics.
But, backing up now.
Thanks to LonePine (I realllllly miss traveling 395), today, I built a DBT. Gotta admit, that was 3 hours of frustration. I'm not used to reading diagrams and schematics and I had to do a bunch or searching to verify. And then I bought the wrong bulb. But once I got the right bulb, pretty much everything fell into place.
*I'm jason.
So that's the update. More photos, videos, words to come. Tomorrow, I add the bottom and top panels and feet and let it sit.
Had a chat with a forum member who looked over my stuff. My bridges were reversed, I didn't short my RCAs (I'm listening rn with XLRs), and one of my four amp board LEDs was wired wrong. But literally everything else was a breeze. All the measurements. It was a quick and painless process to measure--when told what to measure.
So, with that, I actually still have a lot to share. Including a ton of pics.
But, backing up now.
Thanks to LonePine (I realllllly miss traveling 395), today, I built a DBT. Gotta admit, that was 3 hours of frustration. I'm not used to reading diagrams and schematics and I had to do a bunch or searching to verify. And then I bought the wrong bulb. But once I got the right bulb, pretty much everything fell into place.
*I'm jason.
So that's the update. More photos, videos, words to come. Tomorrow, I add the bottom and top panels and feet and let it sit.
The toroidal are to close to the amp-boards for my taste—those will heat up to what, 60°C minimum? Underneath the torpid which I‘d guess won‘t fry but won‘t like it either...
Tonight, I fastened my bottom cover and feet. What a pain in the sphincter. I left most of my bolts loose to allow for movement, but it still took two hours. I had to remove both the face and back plates and then loosen (even more) the rails holding the heatsinks.
I also corrected one of my LEDs (5/6 were correct).
Misunderstanding, I then made permanent jumpers at the amp board's GND to -IN. Last night, my amp was hum free. After these jumpers, I had hum in both channels. DON'T DO THIS if you're using XLRs. ONLY make jumpers at the external XLR connector WHEN USING RCA cables.
After removing the jumpers I wrongly created at the amp boards, I returned the amp to duty on the little speakers. It was so glorious that I powered down to hook up the big Altecs. And POOF.
I blew a fuse.
My back panel kit came with 10A and 2A fuses.
So, I guess that's it for tonight.
Here's the sounds from last night on the little Fostex:
Earth on AJ by Jason
I also corrected one of my LEDs (5/6 were correct).
Misunderstanding, I then made permanent jumpers at the amp board's GND to -IN. Last night, my amp was hum free. After these jumpers, I had hum in both channels. DON'T DO THIS if you're using XLRs. ONLY make jumpers at the external XLR connector WHEN USING RCA cables.
After removing the jumpers I wrongly created at the amp boards, I returned the amp to duty on the little speakers. It was so glorious that I powered down to hook up the big Altecs. And POOF.
I blew a fuse.
My back panel kit came with 10A and 2A fuses.
So, I guess that's it for tonight.
Here's the sounds from last night on the little Fostex:
Earth on AJ by Jason